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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26190046">The Clubhouse</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BiBitchBee/pseuds/BiBitchBee'>BiBitchBee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Soulmate [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Coffee Shops, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, Gay Richie Tozier, Open to Interpretation, Platonic Soulmates, Richie Tozier Has ADHD, Romantic Soulmates, no beta we die like men</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:01:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,097</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26190046</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BiBitchBee/pseuds/BiBitchBee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>On the third of January, you get a letter with either the place you meet your soulmate or the date you meet them so long as it is that year. </p><p>Richie gets the name of a coffee shop.</p><p>Eddie gets January 6th.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Beverly Marsh/Kay McCall, Bill Denbrough/Mike Hanlon, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Maggie Tozier/Wentworth Tozier, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Past Sonia Kaspbrak/Frank Kaspbrak, Patricia Blum Uris/Stanley Uris</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Soulmate [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1901935</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Clubhouse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>January Third is notorious. Each time it rolls around, most people wait eagerly by their mailboxes to see if they got the famous letter. That is if you believed in soulmates.</p><p>Eddie Kaspbrak was not one of these people. His parents had been soulmates, and neither of them were happy. His mother was a mess, constantly trying to control him and keep him away from his father, which was what eventually lost her custody. His father seemed happy, but he was lonely. Eddie could tell. Ben didn't know his. Mike didn't know theirs.  Soulmates were bogus. There was no point in pining over his mailbox come New Years.</p><p>Richie Tozier was one of these people. His parents were soulmates, and they were the happiest people he'd ever known. His older sister met her soulmate last year and they were set to be married in November. Two of his best friends had already found their soulmates. To be honest, Richie felt kind of left out sometimes. When Bev and Stan were taking Kay and Patty on double dates or when Lauren roped him into the wedding planning. But he always had Bill to stand with him at the mailboxes come the start of the year.</p><p>When January Third hit, Eddie paid it no notice. He retrieved his mail on his way back from his noon lecture, just like every Monday. He didn't look at it when he got back to his dorm, instead putting it on his desk and flopping into his bed. Mike rushed to the mail because they cared about that kind of thing. Eddie only looked up from his pillow when Mike got loud, proclaiming the two golden envelopes. Both of them had gotten their letters. Mike ripped theirs open to see the name of one of the on-campus libraries they frequented. Eddie rolled his eyes when Mike demanded he open his, but obliged.</p><p>"January Sixth. Can I go back to sleep now, Mike?" </p><p>Richie and Bill were standing outside the door when their mail arrived. They were both handed their golden letter with equal amounts of wide-eyed excitement. Bill ripped his open immediately, thanking the mailman and rushing up the stairs with Richie on his heels. Stan was in the dorm next to them, his roommate being a sweet poetry student that had a sweet crush on Bev. Bev found it cute. Richie liked to proclaim it weird, seeing as Bev was a lesbian but he made no moves on the girl because he knew both this and that she was already committed to Kay. In fact, he once took Bev aside when she was over to apologize if he had made her uncomfortable. He was also sweet enough to not protest when Bill and Richie stormed into the room looking for Stan. Bill had gotten the date he would meet his and was now hyperventilating. The Fourth was way sooner than he expected. Richie was too nervous to open his, so Stan did it for him.</p><p>"The Clubhouse."</p><p>"The Clubhouse? What the hell is The Clubhouse?" Richie asked, drumming his fingers on his knees.</p><p>"It's a coffee place nearby!" Ben added from behind his laptop. "My friend Eddie loves it there,"</p><p>Eddie agreed to meet Mike's soulmate with Ben at the coffee place he liked. Mike's soulmate was also bringing his friends. It was the Fifth and Mike was practically vibrating when he arrived. "You excited, buddy?" Ben teased.</p><p>"Shut up," Mike said back but immediately hopped up as the bell rang. In walked in two redheads and a blonde, the male redhead leaning in to hug Mike immediately. "Guys, this is-"</p><p>"Ben?" Asked Mike's soulmate. "You're kidding, right?"</p><p>Ben was laughing. "Hello to you too, Bill. Hey, Stan, Bev. Is Richie not coming?"</p><p>"Wait, what's happening?" Eddie asked.</p><p>"Ben's my roommate, and these idiots never go to their own fucking dorm." Said the blonde. "I'm Stan, this is Beverly, and Bill is Mike's soulmate. And, no, Ben. He had a class."</p><p>Beverly laughed and shook Eddie's hand. "This is ridiculous. Richie's gonna shit his pants."</p><p>Richie was, in fact, nearly in tears when Bill told the story to him later. It was also mostly because Richie had walked in on him and Mike in a... compromising situation. He grabbed a few things and went to the library to study. He stayed there for hours longer than he intended and went to pick up a coffee from The Clubhouse on his way back to the dorm at about three in the morning. He was wearing his glasses because he ran out of his contacts prescription. Since being told of the name, Richie came to the coffee place about four times a day to be sure he didn't miss his soulmate. Bev thought it was cute. Bill thought it was funny. Stan thought it was creepy. </p><p>Eddie was struggling on a paper and stayed up till three trying to revise it. He placed a mobile order for his espresso so he could have it finished by his class tomorrow. Or, today. Who can ever tell? He walked into The Clubhouse and felt the air turn electric. It felt like the second before you were shocked by your static friction on the back of a crappy auditorium chair in elementary school, but all over his skin. He looked around the coffee shop to see one man's eyes already on him. He had messy black hair and thick glasses. His shirt was neon, and his coffee cup had a star-shaped blue straw sticking out the other side of it. Eddie raised his eyebrows and grabbed his coffee off the counter, before turning on his heel and leaving The Clubhouse.</p><p>"Wait!" Cried out the stranger. </p><p>Eddie rolled his eyes but paused in the doorway. "Yes?"</p><p>"Did you not feel it?" He asked, sounding desperately tired and disappointed.</p><p>"I did. I just don't need a soulmate."</p><p>The stranger raised an eyebrow. "Well, don't think you exactly get to make that choice Eddie." He tilted his head to read the name of his cup, causing his glasses to slip down his nose.</p><p>"Sucks." Eddie turned to leave again, only for this stranger to grab hold of his arm. "Let me go."</p><p>"If you don't want to be my soulmate, will you at least be my friend?" He asked.</p><p>Eddie sighed. "Fine. Do you have a pen?"</p><p>The man dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a sharpie. Eddie plucked the cup out of his hands and wrote his name under the name <em>Richie.</em></p><p>"Text me, Richie."</p>
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